Automatic lock for gates



(N o Model.)

v 2 Sheets- Sheet 1. A.. FARRAR 8v W. P. ELLIOTT. AUTMATIG LOCK POR. GATES. N0. 355,518.

Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

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N. PETERS. Pmlilhomphnf. Washinglun. D C

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR FABRAR AND WILLIAM P. ELLIOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC 1.00KV FOR GATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,518,`dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed Srptember 27, i886. Serial No. 214,596. (No model.) d

To all whom, it `may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR FARRAR and WILLIAM P. ELLIOTT, citizens of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Locks for Gates; and we hereby declare A4the following to be a full, clear, and exact defvent their unintentional closing by the effect 0f Wind.

Our invention consists in providing a gate the bar of which is actuated by a piston-andtails of construction and combinations of parts,

all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1y represents our improvement applied to a pneumatic gate, of which only one hollow post is shown in sectional elevation, containing the bar-actuating mechanism, the swinging bar being broken away at opposite ends. Fig. 2 'shows a part of our improved locking device enlarged in sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the other part of the locking device, shown as engaging with the cross piece of a frame with which the piston-rod is connected.

Our improvement may of coursebe applied for the accomplishment of its purpose to various forms of gates of the class referred to, though to illustrate its operation we show and describe it in connection wit-h the gate hereiubefore mentioned as forming the subject of a pending application for Letters Patent, and the gate being fully shown and described in be raised simultaneously and lowered simulx' taneously by the raising or lowering of one bar. The manner of connection of the bars for the foregoing purpose is indicated in Fig.

l of the drawings, and involves a practically endless chain, C, passing around and secured uponl a wheel, C', or segmental portion of a wheel upon the axis of one gate-bar, and thence through a conduit, D,`into the other post (not shown) and around a similar bearing upon the axis of the opposite gate-bar. (Also not shown.) This manner of connection between the two gate-bars, however, is not essential to the application of our improved locking device, as will be readily understood from ther following description, but is only illustrated and described for the sake of convenience, as

our improvement may be employed where the bars are connected differently from the manner shown for simultaneous act-ion-say'both to be actuated directly by luid-pressure, or where a single swinging bar forms the barrier, or where two bars are not connectedforsimultaneous action, by a single operation of the y pump.

Within the post B, supportedat opposite sides of the axis of the bar A, are the cylinders D and D', containing pistons E and E/ having their rods F and Ff secured at their lower ends to the lowercross-heads, randr, of frames G and G movable in guides on the cylinderslongitudinally of thesame, the frames forming connecting-links on opposite sides of the axis of the bar A in the chain C.

The vcylinders communicate from their upperends, through pipes q and q', with a suitable Huid-pump, (not shown, but of common constructiom) communication being opened between the pump and one cylinder and simultaneously closed between the pump and the other cylinder, at' the same time presenting an escape-outlet for the contents of the last- IOO VIo

named cylinder by means of a suitable threeway cock, (not shown, but also of old construction.) Thus, as shown, the bar A has been lowered by the introduction of pressure into the cylinder D upon the piston E, producing the simultaneous rise of the piston E', from above which the duid contents of the cylinder D have escaped through the exhaust in the three-way cockreferred to, and the bar will be raised by introducing pressure from the pump upon the piston E', whereby the piston E will be actuated as was the pist-on E in lowering the bar.

Vhen raised, particularly, it is desirable to lock the bar in its raised position, which we accomplish by means of the device forming our improvement, and comprising a chamber, H, suitably supported, and communicating by a pipe, p, with the pipe q of the cylinder D,containing the piston which lowers the bar. The chamber H is provided internally with an air-tight iiexible diaphragm, I', which covers the communication of t-he chamber with the pipe p, and the diaphragm supports a broad bearing, o, carrying a vertical standard or link, n', which extends through a guideextension, m', leading from the upper side of the chamber H.

K is a bell-crank lever, pivoted atts angle in a suitable bearing, Z', inside the post, and pivotally connected at one end, as shown in Fig. 3, ofthe lever K and link or standard n, with the end of the link or standard n', and the opposite end of the lever K is notched to form a catch or latch, L, normally in the path of the cross-head i" of the frame G.

With the piston Ein the position shown, to which it is moved bylowering the bar A, with the introduction of pressure into the cylinder D upon the piston E, as aforesaid, the duid contents have been exhausted from the cylinder D', pipes g and p, and chamber H, and the diaphragm I in the chamber H is in its normal condition, (shown in'Fig. 2,) which maintains the latch L in the path of the crosshead r, whereby, when the latter is lowered, as shown, to lower the bar A, it will be engaged by the latch L, as illustrated, which will hold it andfuntil released, prevent the raising of the bar. When there are two cylinders, as represented, and operating as described, this release is accomplished by introduction of the ilnidpressure into the cylinder D through the pipe q', whence it also enters the chamber H through the pipe p underneath the diaphragm I, expanding the same, and, as a consequence, raising the linkp and turning the bell-crank lever to disengage the latch L from the crosshead r.

Two locking devices may be employed, as shown in Fig. l, one being the exact counterpart of the other, the one for holding the bar or bars when lowered to form the barrier, as already described, and the other to hold it or them when raised to remove the barrier;

The parts of the locking device show.. 4at the right of Fi g. 1 are distinguished from those marked p' and that which leads Ato the chamber H is marked p.

The operation of the lock in holding the gate-bar when down having already been fully described, the simultaneous operations of both locks will be understood from the following description of the operation of the lock for holding the gate-bar when up, which, as hereinbefore stated, is the more important object of our invention.

Pressure is introduced into the cylinder D to raise the bar from its lowered position while thepiston Eis being held in ixtslowered position by the adjacent latch L, and by the introduction of such pressure into the cylinder D the same, or rather a portion of the same, is also introduced into the chamber H, against the under side of the diaphragm I, controlling the latch L, which, when` the gate-bar is down, holds the piston E. The pressure eXpandsthe diaphragm I and effects the release of the piston E, which thereupon is permitted to rise with the descent of the piston E', the rod of which, on passing the latch L in its path, will be held till released in the manner already described of releasing the rod of the piston E.

It will be understood, as already less defi- 'nitely stated, that with the introduction of the pressure into the cylinder D and chamber H connected with it the fluid contents are exhausted from the cylinder D and chamber H connected with it, whereby the diaphragm I' assumes its normal position and the latch L is in the path of the cross-head 1^.

It will thus be seen that thenormal position of each latch L and L is'in the path of a piston rod or frame, with which it engages by an operation resembling a spring-catch, and that to release it requires the pressure used to move the bar'from one position to the other, and the exercise of that pressure simultaneously with IOO or before the movement of the piston which actuates the bar to move from a previous position in which it is being held by the locking device.

It is found in practice that the diaphragms being large and the resistance slight they are affectedby the pressure underneath them more readily than the pistons; hence they release the latches before the gate-bars'move.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a gate having its l swinging bar actuated pneumatically by alpis- .ton-and-cylinder mechanism, of a lock engaglng automatically with the piston portion of the mechanism, and means, substantially as described, for releasing the lock from such engagement by pneumatic force exerted independently of said piston portion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a gate having a swinging bar connected with pistons on opposite sides of the axis of the bar and actuated in. cylinders by air-pressure simultaneously in opposite directions, of locks for the pistons, normally in condition to engage with the piston-rods, and means, substantially as-described, for alternately releasing the locks by air-pressure exerted independently of said pistons, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a gate having a swinging bar connected with pistons on oppo- `site sides of the axis of the bar and actuated in cylinders by air-pressure simultaneously in opposite directions, of a lock comprising a pivotally-supported lever having a latch near one extremity normally in position to engage.

with the rod of one piston, a chamber communicating with the compressed-air conduit leading to the other piston and covered by a ilexible diaphragm carrying a standard, to which the opposite end of the lever is pivotally connected, substantiallyY as and for the purpose set forth. A

4. The combination, with a gate having a swinging bar connected with piston's on opposite sides of the axis of the bar and actuated in cylinders by air-pressure simultuaneously in opposite directions, of a lock for each piston,

each lock comprising a pivotally-supported lever, K, having a latch, L, near one extremity normally in position to engage with a rod of one piston, a chamber, H, communicating with the compressed-air conduit leading to the other` piston and covered by a flexible diaphragm, I., carrying a standard, n, to which the opposite end of the lever is pivotally connected, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ARTHUR FARRAR.

W'ILLIAM P; ELLIOTT. In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTH,

GEORGE C. COOK. 

